TIL my neighbor's trick for keeping squirrels out of his raised beds

I was helping him move some pavers last weekend and he pointed at his perfect lettuce, saying 'I just sprinkle a line of cayenne pepper powder around the edge every few days... they hate the smell.' It seems to work for him, but will it wash away and need constant redoing after every rain?

3 comments

3 Comments

james_kim1mo ago

My aunt tried that with her tomatoes and said the same thing about rain. She ended up mixing the cayenne into a paste with a little water and painted it on the wooden sides of the bed. Lasted a bit longer, but still a hassle. What do you do when it storms a lot?

adam7511mo ago

Honestly that pepper trick feels like a losing battle after heavy rain. James_kim's paste idea is smart but still temporary, you'd be reapplying it all season. Tbh I just use chicken wire cages, they're ugly but actually solve the problem for good.

the_cole1mo ago

Agree about the cages being ugly. I spray my chicken wire with flat black rustoleum first. Blends into the dirt better and lasts a few seasons before it needs another coat. Still a permanent fix but less of an eyesore.